The Good Fight

Yesterday I heard that a good friend's mother passed away from ovarian cancer.  Her name was Gisela.  It is with great sadness that I make this post as her passing has really hit a nerve for me.  Gisela was diagnosed about two years ago and bravely battled this disease.  But like so many other women, the battle was too much and took her too soon.  When I learned the news in 2009, I dedicated a race to her.  I often thought of her and "carried" her with me while I raced.  Although I never met her, she is familiar to me.  Her story is like so many others.  Subtle symptoms, late stage diagnosis, treatment to no avail and ultimately, no cure.  This is why I race.  A method of early detection is what we need.  If Gisela had been diagnosed in Stage II, instead of Stage IV, there would be no need for OCRF or for my campaign. In the meantime, I can't bring Gisela back but I can race to raise money for a method of early detection.